The thieves had dug up half-a-kilometer long tunnel to reach the pipeline. Despite night patrolling in the area, the theft went undetected till Thursday night when police nabbed two men transporting crude oil in a container in the Udhyog Nagar area. Nearly 22,000 litre of oil worth Rs 15 lakh has been seized.

Police suspect the involvement of an organized gang of oil mafias who supply the oil to factories in Ghaziabad, Mathura, Gujarat and Delhi where it is used in boilers.

"The container was carrying crude oil. The driver and the helper were immediately taken into custody and interrogated. The two men - Bablu and Anil - told us that the oil was stolen from IOC's Jamnagar-Mathura pipeline passing through forest area near Rarah and Moroli villages on the Rajasthan - Uttar Pradesh border. Both are residents of UP's Azamgarh district," said SP Bhomia.

The two men then led the team to an area used for crop cultivation. The police were shocked to find a 500-metre long tunnel dug up leading to the underground oil pipeline. "They fixed a valve to the IOC pipeline and joined it to another pipe with a diameter of three inches. This pipe, running through the tunnel, was used to steal oil in a controlled manner," Bhoomia added.

Police, however, did not find anyone at the spot during the raid, hinting at a possible tip-off to the thieves.

According to the police, the place is isolated and the way leading to it is unapproachable due to rocky terrains. The police, though, suspect the involvement of owners of nearby agricultural lands as it is unlikely they were not aware of a tunnel being dug up in the farms.

IOC's chief engineer Eshamul Huq told TOI over phone that an investigation has been launched into the theft. "The guards are deputed to patrol the pipeline in shifts. Night patrolling is also conducted but the theft went undetected as the nearby agricultural lands had been plowed for sowing when the thieves dug up the tunnel," said the officer.

To check the increasing incidents of oil thefts, Huq said, stringent measures need to be implemented by the government. SP Bhomia said teams have been rushed to Delhi and Mathura for further investigation.

"Prima-facie, there seems to be a huge network of oil mafia involved in the oil theft on such large scale," said the police officer.

more from times of india Cities

All Comments ()+^ Back to Top

Characters Remaining: 3000

Continue without login

or

Login from existing account

FacebookGoogleEmail

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.